Our Friend Milo
by rainbowthefox
Summary: The Laughingstock Crew looks for a new mate when the Rubber Fishes hire Siren Susan. When they meet and recruit Milo Buck, they realize they were getting far more than they bargained for. (Candle Cove/Creepypasta. AU.)
1. Chapter 1

The Laughingstock Crew made daily stops to pubs and marketplaces. When roaming the seas of Candle Cove, things got lengthy and materials grew low. Percy would sometimes need a new hat and Janice would often run out of food. Whenever either of them happened, the pirate crew always stopped at the market. Sometimes they'd spend a Saturday afternoon socializing on the boardwalks while searching for new quests. Poppy, the captain of the Laughingstock Crew, enjoyed the common and much-needed rum when the Rubber Fishes' frivolities were endless and he'd stop at a pub or two every week.

Today was no different as the crew docked the Laughingstock at a nearby fisherman's market. Poppy tended to the boat while Percy and Janice took a look around the shops. Percy was a doll-like pirate who took his pirating as a hobby while Janice was a young, 7 year old girl who always dreamed of sailing the seas. In Percy's gloved hand was 2 escudos. It was his weekly pay for being second-in-command. Janice got her share in pieces of candy, which was going to be their first stop today.

Tightening his grip on the little girl's hand, Percy led Janice into her favorite sweet shop. "Ye Ol' Sweets" was a candy shop located at the end of the harbor that carried all sorts of glazed nuts, fruits, and candy. Janice's blue eyes widened at the sight of all the sugar and led her friend with her to the back of the shop. She picked some of her usual favorites, which consisted of crystallized candy and taffy. Percy fidgeted with his hands as he watched her gather the candy.

"R-Remember, Janice...4 reale is o-our limit.."

"I know!" Janice happily exclaimed. She picked out a handful before running over to the cash register and dropping it on the desk. The old sailor passed a glance to them as he weighed the sweets and charged them. Percy discarded the Spanish coins, collected his change, and hurried Janice outside. Poppy was waiting for them around the corner. Janice gave the large pirate a hug before shoving a piece of taffy in her mouth.

"Did you g-get the fruits, C-Cap'N?" Percy asked from behind her.

Poppy held a bag filled with citrus and lemons in response. Percy gave his captain a respectful nod before following the two further down the marketplace. They gathered fruits to prevent any cases of scurvy and often used them as a snack or two. Past rumors had it that they'd get sick eating raw fruit but with the hell they endured daily, the pirates didn't mind.

Earlier that day, Janice accidentally stumbled upon the Manbearpig's cave and caused havoc for Poppy getting her out. He was a dangerous, eccentric creature that could've harmed her more than he had. He lived deep in the caverns and shot rather...odd films. The Manbearpig gathered clothes from corpses and would use them to decorate his marionettes. He was the "Master Puppeteer" and, according to rumors, performed stories that would come true and happen. Janice got out of there with a few scrapes a bruises but it was horrifying to Percy. The Rubber Fishes had yet to make their appearance that day and Poppy was sure to be on his feet. A break or two couldn't hurt anyone and it's been hours since he had a drink.

"I'll be in th' Pub fer a bit," He suddenly stopped and turned to Percy. "Call me 'f somethin' comes up o' th' Rubber Fishes come."

Percy nervously stood and saluted Poppy, whom dismissed himself to the pub nearby. Janice grabbed onto the doll's hand and started leading him around the boardwalk. The whole place smelled like raw fish and alcohol. It was common for them to stop at places like these so they could sight see or Janice could have some souvenirs for back at home. She really enjoyed the pirate life, despite being a foreigner who randomly stumbled upon the place one day and joined Percy. Poppy was merely someone whom they needed help for a quest one time, but has decided to stick with them since.

And, since Percy had severe anxiety and a stuttering problem, he became their Captain. Pirates needed someone powerful and menacing to lead their crew so it was the best decision to make. Percy wasn't bad as Captain but couldn't protect Janice when it came to the Skin Taker. He fought off his crew but was weak and vulnerable when it came to Horace. Seeing as that puppet was second-in-command to the Rubber Fishes, they were bound to need someone else. They were currently on the search for another mate but they had little success. They heard the name "Milo" somewhere on their trip but had long forgotten about it.

"Look!" Janice pointed and urged Percy towards a street performer. He was your average puppeteer with string dolls and sock puppets. Percy was a bit clueless as to why it fascinated the girl, but remained silent. She watched in awe as he performed a show about a princess falling in love with a prince. The princess had a long, pink dress and the prince had a scarlet-colored scarf. Janice sat down next to a group of pirates and Percy followed suit.

The performer, hidden behind the stage and maneuvering the puppets, continued with his show.

 _"-She fell under a curse that day and turned into an ugly being. The prince, now being conflicted with his feelings for her, left her in order to find a new princess. Rosanne was devastated and locked herself in a windmill far beyond the land. She was disgusted with herself and was sure no one would ever love a hideous creature like her."_

The set changed to a domestic building that housed a windmill. A globin-like creature wearing a pink dress hid in the house and did not come out. Janice tilted her head curiously at the change of setting and the bit of story she heard. She suddenly exclaimed, "That's not right!"

The group of pirates next to her shushed her. Percy shook in fear when he noticed how big and muscular they were. The puppeteer ignored the interruption and continued:

 _"Little did she know that a traveler whom was roaming the lands nearby stumbled upon the windmill. He entered the building and called, 'Is anyone there?'. Afraid, the princess hid herself in a closet and watched the stranger roam the windmill. Soon, he peeked inside the closet and found her..."_

A puppet suddenly came onto stage that was dressed rather formally with brown clothes. He wore a hat with a purple feather tucked into the side of it. The puppet opened a door between him and the goblin. The two heard the other pirates gasp in anticipation. Janice leaned forward with the others and waited to see what would happen. Percy looked completely lost.

 _"She screamed and ran past him. The traveler eventually caught up to her and admitted that the sight of her was terrifying. Yet, as he looked in the creature's eyes, he saw beautiful brown ones staring back at him. It was then that he knew, something beautiful inside was trapped..."_

The puppets got close together as the traveler caressed the goblin's face. As the two inched closer, the curtains suddenly closed. Disappointed noises came from both Janice and the group of pirates. The puppeteer revealed himself from behind the stage and dropped the sticks he was holding. He was a very short man, around Janice's height, that hid himself behind a peculiar mask. He wore foreign clothes that looked very formal.

He exclaimed, "Visit tomorrow to see the end of my story and the beginning of the new one! Tips are welcome."

He bid farewell to them and began to pack his puppets and belongings. Janice, curious to know the rest of the story, came up to him. Percy tried to stop her but came to no avail as he followed behind her. Once they were close enough, the puppeteer jumped in surprise. Janice gave him a rather bold look.

"Hi! My name's Janice and this is my friend, Percy." She motioned to the doll. "I was just wondering...how does your story end, Mr. Puppeteer?"

He laughed. "You'll have to come back for that, sweetheart."

"But..." Janice was at a loss for words. "But I won't be here tomorrow! Won't you tell me?"

"It s-seems really simple, J-Janice..." Percy shifted his weight behind the girl. "Th-They kiss a-and the spell is b-broken..."

The Puppeteer mocked Percy. "G-Gee, I-I d-don't k-know." He regained his posture. "Look, kid, I can't spoil the stories. This is my only source of money and if I tell anything to anyone, people won't come back."

With that, the Puppeteer closed his box of puppets and dismissed himself. He was a rather rude fellow, but you got a lot of them at the marketplace. Janice stomped her foot angrily and Percy panicked. He urged her forward on the boardwalk and pat her back reassuringly. The child continued to fume and Percy knew he wasn't doing any good. The doll sighed and held her hand.

"I-I know, Janice. H-He's mean. I'm sure I w-was right on the story, t-though."

Janice nodded in return and Percy felt her relax. They passed by many sailors, pirates and occasionally a foreigner or two. The two looked at all the fish packed into crates, barrels, and shelves. Some looked appetizing while others had their guts piled out or were too raw. Percy purchased a couple of fish himself and made sure to make haste back to the pub Poppy was in. They could only endure the smell of fish for so long.

Once they came to the pub, Percy looked around nervously. He went on his knee to look at Janice and handed her the bag of fish. She took it and eyed him uneasily. He said, "S-Stay here, please."

Janice gave him a worried look "Wha-? Percy, why?"

"Because P-Poppy doesn't usually t-take this long dr-drinking. S-Something may be wr-wrong, and you can't e-exactly come i-in."

Janice looked to the floor before nodding. Percy gave her a quick hug before going inside the pub and leaving the child alone. She made sure to stick as close as she could to the door and gave the other pirates scared looks. Each one of them looked like they could tear her apart to shreds. Many stories were rumored that pirates would take girls of any age and bring them back to their ships and rape them. Other stories were that they'd murder her, dump her in the sea, and leave her body floating endlessly. Some even said they'd take children and they'd disappear forever!

Needless to say, she was scared. Especially when she heard a familiar scraping noise calling for her.

 **"Jaaaaannniiiiccceeee..."** "

The child turned around in the direction of the voice, only to find pirates walking past her casually. She looked petrified as she turned 360 degrees trying to find the source of the voice.

 **"I'm waaaiiitttiiinnngggg..."**

Janice gasped. The voice sounded closer. She backed up to the wall of the pub and searched through the crowds. It sounded like...

 **"I love your skin."**

The last voice felt like it was crawling down her back. The child gave into her fears and let out the loudest scream she could manage. Pirates around her gave her a surprised look and some drunkards jumped back in surprise. She felt a hand pull her back and Janice screamed again. When she found that a knife wasn't going through her chest, she opened her eyes and saw Poppy giving her a worried look. She was too focused on screaming that she hadn't noticed she started crying.

Percy wiped her tears for her as Poppy held her close. The pirates around them resumed what they were doing before, assuming that the child was just a crazy lass. Janice sobbed into Poppy's shoulder and held him close. It felt like she was going to die at any minute and it scared her. Poppy rubbed her back in order to soothe her. Once the child was calm enough, he held her at arms length.

"Janice, why were you screaming?"

"I-I thought..I saw...I heard..."

Poppy held her close again and motioned for Percy to start heading back to the Laughingstock. Janice dug her head in his shoulder as she gripped onto his coat tightly. Once they came to the boat, he put Janice down and started untying the ropes. Janice dangled her legs over the ship and sniffled. Was the Skin Taker really there, or was she just hearing voices? She could have sworn he was right behind her.

"Are you al-alright?"

The child looked up and saw Percy standing behind her, twiddling his thumbs. He sat down next to her and gave her a hug. Janice nodded and wiped another tear that fell from her cheek. Percy held onto her tighter and started shaking his head.

"I sh-shouldn't have left you there. I'm s-so sorry..."

"It's okay, Percy." Janice assured her friend. "I guess I'm imagining things."

Percy let go and patted her shoulder before dismissing himself to help Poppy release the Laughingstock. The sound of the waves hitting the side of the boat calmed Janice a bit. She was glad they were leaving the market. She didn't want to be there any longer than she had to. The Laughingstock noticed that Janice had been down and its widened grin ceased a little.

She asked, **"ARE YOU OKAY, JANICE?"**

The child nodded and rubbed a nearby pole to assure the ship. She stopped interrogating her and continued floating down the sea. Janice heard Percy come behind her again and saw an accordion in his hands. The child whipped around excitedly and stood, clapping her hands to encourage the doll to perform a shanty. It was one of Percy's hidden talents that he was able to both play the accordion and sing pretty well. His stuttering problem went away when he sang, which was a skill to possess as is. He rarely sang anything but knew Janice liked it so he did it from time to time. Now seemed like a good time to sing to her.

He asked, "H-Have any songs, J-Janice?"

The child clasped her hands together and exclaimed, " _'All For Me Grog'_!"

Percy nodded and began playing his accordion, locking eyes with the child as he started to sing the shanty. He did his best to censor out the inappropriate parts of the shanty. It sounded pretty lame without them, but Janice barely noticed as she danced around in circles. When the Laughingstock Crew was in desperate times, Percy would sometimes perform at markets for extra doubloons. It was nice practice and Janice absolutely loved it when he played!

Percy soon ended the song and gave a little bow. Janice clapped and giggled, clearly feeling better. Percy gave her a smile before storing the accordion again and following Janice up to the quarterdeck. They found Poppy steering the ship and he tipped his hat to them. Janice skipped over and peeked to see where they were going. The Laughingstock was headed back to Candle Cove. Its infamous dark atmosphere could be seen a mile away.

Janice gave Poppy a scared look. "Poppy? Why are we going back to Candle Cove?"

"'Cause, lassy," He replied. "We be lookin' fer a new recruit, eh? Me Milo be livin' on th' other side o' Candle Cove."

"Milo?" Percy asked. "You m-mean that guy w-we heard the bartender sp-speak about?"

"Aye." Poppy nodded. "He's a good mate o' mine. Th' Rubber Fishes be havin' a new siren on their crew. Best t' find another matey fer' us!"

A crack of thunder boomed across the horizon and made the three of them jump. Poppy simply shrugged it off and continued steering straightforward. Percy looked scared to death while Janice held onto Poppy's leg nervously. The Candle Cove inhabited the Skin Taker and Horace the Horrible, and, as Poppy said, they recently recruited a new siren. She was deadly to the trio as she was able to hypnotize Poppy and Percy and would often try to lure them into rocks. Janice would be the one to break them our of their spell and saved their butts once she did.

Her name was Susan Siren and she was dangerous. Luckily, they only brought her on the sea, for she posed no threat on land. She could only cause your ears to ring, which was temporary and didn't slow them down. Janice gulped at the memory of meeting her. She was barely clothed but had the eyes of a normal siren. Ones that would lure sailors to their death and ones you should surely fear. If the Laughingstock Crew could get another mate on their team menacing enough to face her, perhaps they could stop the Skin Taker once and for all.

* * *

On the northern side of Candle Cove was a hidden shipwreck. It was one of the remnants of ships Susan Siren lured and crashed onto the island. Pirates who discovered it scavenged it down to the brim, leaving only bits of wood and cloth. The wreck looked rather skeletal and seemed like it would turn to dust at any moment. It was of no use to anyone now, not even to the common people. This was the perfect domestic opportunity to Milo Buck, whom was currently hunched over a small fire at the wreck.

The pirate was short, only coming to 5 feet and 2 inches. He wore a blue polk-a-dot bandana and a white sweatshirt underneath his jacket. His black boots were soiled in sand and his fingerless gloves were cut and torn. He was one of the whitest pirates known to man and had blonde hair and blue eyes. His voice was very light, yet snobbish at the same time. He was a foreigner from Britain and they were known for their attitude.

To the pirates at taverns, Milo was known as the "bilge rat". He was an egotistical fellow who bragged about various adventures, such as facing the Skin Taker head on and skinning him alive. Other tales consisted of him sailing the whole world or stealing Davy Jones' treasure. None of them were proven, but were believed by many.

"Heh," The pirate muttered under his breath. "I totally nailed that parrot. Didn't see a thing coming."

Over the fire was a carcass of a bird being twirled on a stick. Milo continued to roast the side it was currently on before plucking it off the stick and taking a bite. He gagged at the taste and spat out a bone or two before going back and chewing on the little meat it had. Footsteps came near the fire and he looked up in surprise.

"Oh," Milo spat out another bone. "Hey."

Across from him was a sock puppet taller than him, yet thin. He wore one monocle over his full mustache and he had tall, yellow teeth. His bald head was concealed with a hat and several seams and stitches were placed in various places on his body. Loose limbs were barely hanging by literal threads and a belt was wrapped around his waist, as if being one of the few things holding him together. He wore a badge labelled: " **ST** ". To pirates everywhere, it was a big warning sign.

He replied, "T' Master says ye' 'ave 1 day left."

Milo yawned. "One day, really? I could totally come up with the gold by morning."

The man rolled his eye in the monocle and crossed his arms. He said, "'Tis th' final warnin'. Expects it by sunset. Don't come crawlin' back t' me."

With that, the man left. Milo shrugged it off, playing it off as it were nothing. He could probably raid one of the ships at the harbor and steal some of their gold there. Crews would abandon their ships on Sunday mornings and drink at the pubs all day. One of his favorite hobbies was free looting on unsupervised ships. He got most of his money through that way and both freeloading and scamming. Guess he truly was a pirate, in a way.

Truth be told, he barely had a quarter of what the Skin Taker wanted. If he let his slave know _that_ , the skeleton would have hauled his pelvis down there and skin his face in a blink of an eye. Milo's easy demeanor kept him alive this far. And, tomorrow, it was going to earn him some good doubloons.


	2. Chapter 2 (ENDING)

The sound of the waves reaching the shoreline of Candle Cove gave Milo a calmed mind. The fire he made last night died and ashes now took its place on the beach. Bits of bones and a couple of bloody eyes from last night's dinner were squished between the rocks encircling the sticks and firewood. He'd been listening to the sound of the fire cracking before he drifted off to sleep for about 4 or so hours.

He woke up to the sound of footsteps coming onto the beach. Naturally, he hid in the one enclosed area of the shipwreck and whipped out his pocket knife. These steps were heavy but was followed by a pair of lighter ones. Milo felt his grip loosen at the sound of a deep voice.

 _"Milo? Where are ye'? I know yer' 'ere."_

Sighing, Milo discarded the pocket knife and revealed himself. In his sight came a tall, red-bearded pirate. He wore an eye patch like he had in the past but this time he wore a captain's hat. His old scars were still visible and he now wore a long, black coat. Behind him was a doll that Milo had never seen before. He knew he posed no threat because those buckling knees and shaky hands told him everything he needed to know. Milo wore a suave smile as he opened his arms, stepping forward to the pair of pirates.

"Ah, Poppy! Good to see 'ya!"

"That it is!" Poppy stepped forward and graciously hugged the man. He let go after a couple of seconds and patted Milo's back, beckoning him to the pirate behind him.

"This be Percy, me second-in-command. Percy, Milo."

"H-Hello." Percy extended an arm. Milo stared at it for a moment or two before shrugging and shaking it. Percy withdrew his hand after and eyed the two warily. They had no resemblance to one another and, from what he knew about Poppy, had never brought up Milo before. The doll tilted his head.

"How d-do you two kn-know each other?"

"Milo used ta' be part o' me crew 'fore I met 'ye n' Janice!" Poppy motioned to the shorter pirate beside him. "'S like a brother ta' me."

"Same for you, old man!" Milo punched his side playfully. "But who's Janice?"

"She's m-my friend and a cr-crew member." Percy said. "She's a li-little girl, about eight n-now."

At this, Milo rubbed his chin in thought. He gave a glance to Poppy, but soon shrugged it off and walked over to the fire. He grabbed a nearby stick and started poking at the ashes. He and Poppy went _waaayyysss_ back. Truthfully, Milo thought he'd never see him again. He changed a lot from the trouble-making, scheming pirate he grew up with. The whole reason Milo converted to savage pirating is because of _him_.

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" He asked absentmindedly. "Shouldn't you be sailing the seas or...something?"

"About that..." Poppy stepped forward. "We were wonderin' if ye would like ta...join our crew?"

Milo tensed as his eyes grew wide. He quickly turned them and asked, "What?"

Poppy hesitated and gave a glance to Percy, who nervously rubbed his arm in return. The pirate explained, "Y'see...we be lookin' fer someone new. Th' Rubber Fishes got 'em a new siren, so we thought havin' 'nother mate on me crew would balance it out. N' yer a great pirate! Ye' got a lot o' treasure back n' our days n' ye'd do great now! What do ye' say?"

Milo looked at them in disbelief. How stupid can you be to ask the "bilge rat" of Candle Cove to join your crew? Surely Poppy had no idea nor did this Percy fellow. If _they_ believed he was a good guy, he could get a place to stay and actual food to eat. Milo felt a grin come to lips at the thought. He stood up and walked over to the two, wrapping his arms around them.

He said, "Count me in, guys! When do we start?"

* * *

" **POPPY,** " The Laughingstock asked. " **WHO IS THIS?** "

"'Tis be me 'ol mate, Milo." Poppy patted the shorter pirate on the back. He made his way easily onto the ship followed by Percy.

Milo, on the other hand, was staring at it with his mouth agape. A talking ship!? He'd never seen anything like it. Sure, there were ships that were painted to _look_ alive, but this thing was the real deal! It had makeup on and had teeth like Horace's, except whiter. What kind of ship had _teeth_!? Did she eat smaller ships? Pirates? Fish? It just didn't make sense to him. This 'Laughingstock' thing had to have been cursed or something. Talking ships didn't just appear out of anywhere.

"M-Milo." A voice snapped him back into reality. "Are you c-coming?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Milo quickly replied, running onto the ship so he didn't have to look at it again. He took a look around and noted that the ship was small. Sure, it had room to walk around in and train, but not enough to party on. He took note of the few sails and chests lying around. Maybe there was treasure in there? Nothing else seemed interesting to him and he only saw a couple of swords lying around. He'd have to use his knife to fight, he guessed.

"'Ey, Milo!" Poppy called, getting his attention. "Th' crew n' I found a room fer ye! C'mon."

Milo, eager to see his luxury bed and room, followed quickly behind him. Poppy led him through the Captains' Cabin and showed him the other rooms. Apparently, Milo had the last room. It looked like it'd have tons of space and he felt himself getting excited. He threw open the door and took a look inside his room.

If you could call it one, that is.

The room had a table with pillows on it for a bed and only had one window. In the corner was a table and a chair with one mere piece of paper and pen and ink beside it. There was only about 5 inches of space to the "bed" to the desk. It was cramped just standing in there and Milo gave an annoyed look to Poppy. The captain shrugged and seemed to be thinking of an excuse.

"We...didn't think we'd be gettin' a new mate so soon, heh..."

The pirate groaned and jumped onto his bed. At least the pillows weren't lumpy. A few feathers flew out here and there and Milo rested against the wall. Poppy took this as a sign to go, so he grasped the doorknob and closed the door. Milo was left with a silent room, save for the sound of the waves hitting the side of the boat and the sounds of Percy running around looking for something.

Milo sighed. "Beats the sand, I guess."

The pirate glanced over to the piece of paper on the desk and shrugged. He got up and sat in the chair, taking the inked feather and thinking of something to write. An idea popped into his head and he smiled. A bucket list! There were a few things he wanted to get out of this place and it'd be nice to keep track of them. He began scribbling a check list.

 _[ ] Steal treasure / doubloons from crew  
[ ] Get free meals  
[X] Get a free room  
[/] Hide from the Skin Taker  
[ ] Get a better reputation  
[ ] Leave a free man_

Milo sat back in his chair and dipped his pen again, thinking of anymore he hadn't covered. When he thought it over, the pirate grinned and set he pen and ink aside and looked at his list. Tonight, he would try picking the locks on the chest and stealing any treasure they had in there. If they didn't have any, he'd go to the harbor and steal some from there. Problem solved.

All he really needed was refuge from the Skin Taker. He'd practically be escaping death if this goes to plan. And, if the Skin Taker were to believe he was gone, then maybe he'd stop searching for him and let Milo do what he did before he went into debt and borrowed from him.

Milo went back onto his bed and laid on his side, closing his eyes. A little nap wouldn't hurt anybody.

* * *

 _"Poppy!"_ Janice exclaimed, running to the pirate and giving him a big hug. Poppy laughed in return and hugged her back. They were on the beach of Candle Cove in the usual spot Janice would appear and greet them. Percy was beside the two glancing back at the Laughingstock every two seconds. Janice gave him a hug, too, and the doll nervously returned it. She stepped back and gave the two an expecting look.

"What are we going to do today?"

Poppy gave Percy a glance and stepped in front of her. He said, "Janice, we be havin' some news for ye! We got a new mate yesterday!"

"Really?" Janice asked, surprised. "Who'd you get?"

"Come n' see!" Poppy urged her toward the ship. Percy followed behind them quickly and kept giving his captain looks.

Percy didn't trust Milo one bit. He seemed like a "sketchy fellow", he told Poppy yesterday. That when they woke up, it looked like the chest had been tampered with. The captain just ignored him and told Percy he was just reading into it too much. He told him that Milo was a trustworthy pirate and that the wind just possible blew the locks over or something. Percy wasn't sure Poppy realized what he was saying at that time. He _knew_ Milo was up to no good.

Janice, on the other hand, was intrigued. When she saw Milo resting on the hammock in the main deck, she seemed excited. She woke Milo up introducing herself and was eager to shake his hand and ask for his name. The pirate looked half awake and mumbled stuff to her Poppy and Percy couldn't hear. They both were hoping it wasn't a swear word. Melrose would kill her!

Janice stepped back and skipped over to Poppy. She said, "I like him!"

Percy questioned this but was quiet as he watched Janice run to the wheel and wait for Poppy to join her. The two pirates made their way to the little girl and got ready to sail. Milo got up from the hammock and covered his eyes from the sun. Once the ship moved, he tumbled over and fell on the deck. He rubbed his head and looked at Poppy.

"Where the hell are we going at _this_ hour?"

"Got me a new quest at Rogue island!" Poppy announced. "We be lookin' 'fer opals. Ye' know about 'em, right, Milo?"

"Yeah." He climbed back into the hammock. "I do."

They weren't worth much compared to gold, but getting one would cover Milo's debt that he wasn't going to pay back. He hasn't been to another island for years now. He took a swig of one of the cigars he found from the chest and puffed out the smoke. It should be interesting to get some treasure fair and square for once. If he didn't like it, he'd just continue stealing. No biggie.

* * *

 **BAM!**

Yet another distraction to Milo's nap. This time, he was thrown out of the hammock and onto the ground harshly. Another bang came and he was on his back within seconds. Milo stood in surprise and saw a ship ramming the side of the Laughingstock. Poppy was turning the wheel frantically, trying to get out of danger. His blue eyes looked to the side and saw Janice clutching Percy's shirt. She was bawling her eyes out loudly which, in Milo's opinion, wasn't helping anybody.

He opened his pocketknife and braced himself this time. He looked at the ship chasing them and found that it was the Rubber Fishes'. Its green aura was all too familiar to him. Gasping, the pirate concealed himself behind a pole and held his knife close to his chest. Poppy noticed this and scowled.

"Milo! Get out 'ere n' help!"

Milo scratched the back of his head. "Now, see... _about that_..."

 **BAM!**

The Rubber Fishes slammed into the Laughingstock hard and they took this opportunity to board them. Horace the Horrible swung through via a rope and made his way onto the deck. In his hand was a sharp cutlass. Poppy ran from the quarterdeck and whipped out his own sword, battling the puppet. Milo watched the two from afar and tried to slip his way into the Captain's Cabin.

Of course, he would have been successful if it weren't for Percy coming in front of him. He had an angry look, which didn't quite fit his personality. Percy looked like he was going to give him an earful until he noticed Milo's smug look. The doll sighed and held onto Janice, looking for a safe space to put her.

He asked, "C-Can you bring her somewhere sa-safe?"

Milo answer was self explanatory as he shoved him aside and tried opening the cabins door. Percy urged Janice elsewhere and gave Milo's back a disgusted look. The pirate picked the lock until he heard a clicking sound. He shoved his fist in the air in triumph and opened the door, running into the-

 _PLOP!_

Milo whipped around on his heel and gasped. Not only a foot away from him was the infamous Skin Taker. He was a 6'3 skeleton wearing a top hat and cape sewn with human flesh. Even though skulls could not show expression, Milo could tell he was _pissed_. The pirate panicked and went into the cabins, locking the door behind him. He sighed in relief until he heard The Skin Taker break it down.

With what, he didn't know.

"AHH!" Milo screamed. He took refuge in Poppy's room and hid behind the desk. Another door was slammed down and he saw the Skin Taker in the doorway. In his hand was a long, sharp knife. Its end was bloody, giving him the sign that he had used it earlier. His eyes were wandering around the room and he saw them go in his direction. Milo felt himself gulp and tried to conceal himself as best as he could.

"So let me get this straight," The Skin Taker said. "You borrowed 86 doubloons from me. You gave Horace a mere 12 back and decided to hide from me."

He kicked a table aside, inching closer to where Milo was. The pirate let out several fearful noises and scooted into the corner. The desk still hid him, but he was pretty sure the skeleton already knew where he was.

"And you decided the Laughinstock Crew was a good idea." The Skin Taker laughed. It was the fist time Milo heard him do that. "The _one_ crew I'm hunting down every single day because their little girl has the cleanest skin in Candle Cove."

He threw the desk Milo was hiding behind aside. It was horrifying to see a skeleton lift something so heavily so easily. He threw it across the room for Davy Jones' sake! There's no telling what he could do with his bare hands. Milo realized this thought and ran out of the room as fast as he could. He hid himself in Percy's room but found there was nowhere else to go besides the bed.

Panting, he looked around. His last bet was his own room. The only place he could hide in there was behind the desk again. He saw The Skin Taker running after him and he panicked. Milo ran into his room and ducked underneath the bed. He could hear the skeleton tearing down furniture in Percy's room. Why was he after _him_? Why not Janice!?

"Honestly, I shouldn't have let you off so easily." The Skin Taker stormed into the room. "But I thought, why kill him? He's a deadbeat who spread rumors about skinning me. He's worthless."

The Skin Taker glanced down and saw blue eyes staring back at him. He threw the makeshift bed aside and grabbed Milo. He screamed and tried to run but felt himself held back. The skeleton had a death grip on him. Milo was flipped so he was face-to-face with the monster of Candle Cove. His eyes were tiny, slit pupils. His skull smelt of flesh, blood, and rot. This was the most terrifying moment of Milo's life.

"And then I realized." The Skin Taker grind his jaw. "He has the same skin tone as Janice. His pathetic skin that has touched all the sin known to mankind...looks the same as hers."

Milo opened his mouth to scream until he felt the knife shoved through his chest and directly through the heart. He guessed, since he's a skeleton, he really knew where to aim to kill. The Skin Taker discarded the knife and stabbed him again through the eye, then his crotch, and then through his stomach. It made several noises going in and out of the body and, once the skeleton thrust his arm back, the body fell onto the floor.

Milo lay on the floor with his guts seeping out of his stomach and his body bleeding. Percy must have heard the ruckus cause he came running into the cabins. He saw the messes, thrown desks, and his room tampered with. When he came to Milo's, all he saw was a pile of blood and a bed thrown backwards.

There was no trace of The Skin Taker nor of Milo. Percy rummaged through the room as to clue of where he went. He found a ripped part of his white t-shirt and a paper sitting on his desk, untouched. When Percy read through, his grip on the paper tightened.

Percy ran out of the cabins and found the Rubber Fishes retreating once again. Poppy was still on deck with cuts and bruises from the fight. Percy was holding his breath when he ran over to one of their chests. When he opened it and found Janice still in there, he sighed in relief. Poppy walked over to the two and laughed, picking up Janice and setting her down.

"We did it, lassie!" Poppy exclaimed. "We hit 'em n' they ran off again!"

Janice cheered and gave her captain a high five. It was a normality to have the Rubber Fishes retreat, even if this time it seemed really easy. They didn't even see the Skin Taker! Maybe that's why their crew was doing so horribly. While Janice and Poppy were celebrating the victory, Percy tapped on his captain's back.

"C-Cap'n." Percy interrupted. "Milo is n-nowhere to be f-found. I found this in his ro-room.."

Percy handed over the paper to Poppy, who squinted his eye and read what was on it. A gasp came a second later and a look of betrayal was on his face. Percy fidgeted with his badges nervously as he watched Janice tug Poppy's arm. She was trying to get a peek at the paper.

"Poppy? What does it say?"

"Milo w-was using us f-for gold," Percy explained for him. "It was a bu-bucket list of ra-raiding us and our st-stuff..."

Poppy stood there for a moment or two before letting go of the paper. It drifted off with the wind into the sea below and Janice watched it sink. Several carp went over and started eating at its remains. Poppy slowly regained his composure and sighed. He said, "I guess ye' was right, Percy. Me 'ol mate really _was_ a bad pirate."

"See?" Percy asked. "M-Maybe you should tr-trust me more o-often, haha..."

"I don't get it." Janice looked to the floorboards. "Why would he use us? We didn't have much that gold."

"Sometimes, lass, there be people 'n th' world who are jus' bad." Poppy started shaking his head. "Even yer' own family. That's part o' th' life o' bein' a pirate."

Percy looked down and suddenly remembered. He added, "Th-the cabins are a m-mess, too. I think The Sk-Skin Taker got h-him..."

Poppy said nothing. It was common sense that anyone besides Janice who passed the Skin Taker was murdered and added onto his cape. Milo was far gone and they knew they couldn't get him back. As to why he would murder Milo, Poppy didn't know. He felt some sense of rage enter him and started swearing that he'd kill the skeleton. He stormed off mumbling about ideas and plans and left Janice with Percy.

Percy didn't understand why Poppy cared for him so much. He raided their treasure, used Poppy's cigars, and took a good portion of their food. It was a good riddance to him, but he knew that the pirate would be devastated and enraged at The Skin Taker. He should pay some of his grievances, and Percy had a good idea on how to.

The doll suddenly ushered Janice with him back into the cabins and grabbed the cloth of Milo's t-shirt. He took the feather, dipped it in ink, and started writing on the shirt. He then returned the feather and hung it on the cabin's door. Janice read it rather proudly.

"In memory of our friend, Milo."

...and the Skin Taker's new gloves.


End file.
